Detroit 2009: Kia Soul'ster guns for fun and frolic
by Alex Nunez on Jan 11th 2009 at 3:50PM 
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Click above for a high-res gallery of the Kia Soul'ster
The Kia Soul has people talking. Specifically, you. Kia's media presentation here in Detroit highlighted feedback from the Autoblog commentariat. No, we didn't know in advance, but you won't hear us complaining either. However, the star of the show for Kia wasn't the Soul -- it's a new concept derived from the boxy people-mover.
After some dancing fanfare involving large placards, the Kia Soul'ster drove onstage. Put simply, it's cool. The two-door design study looks like a pickup from the side, but the "cab" is open-air, much like the old Isuzu Amigo. Pretty much everything on the car is manual: the gearbox, the window cranks, and the two-piece canvas roof. Other details set it apart from its wagonoid brother, such as a slightly chopped roofline and dual exhausts with carbon fiber sleeves. The roof lamps integrated into the roll bars are a nice touch, too. Cantilevered seats mounted off the center console free up storage room beneath them, and there's a small cargo space aft of the second row. The Soul'ster's meant to be an economical four-cylinder, tarmac-only, front-wheel-drive plaything whose primary mission is fun. It sure looks the part, so now the ball's in Kia's court. Do they have the stones to actually follow through and build something like this? Tell them what you think below. One thng's certain: they'll be reading.
Gallery: Detroit 2008: Kia Soul'ster Live
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Gallery: Kia Soul'ster Concept
Photos copyright ©2009 Alex Núñez / Weblogs, Inc.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Red 3:56PM (1/11/2009)
Funky. I can dig it.
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firstplace 4:54PM (1/11/2009)
You dig the girly truck.
CarbonBlack 1:05AM (1/13/2009)
That would be a really fun, efficient ride.....
Build it!!!
john colwell 4:00PM (1/11/2009)
Man Thats ugly Thanks For The pictures though.
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Torrent 4:04PM (1/11/2009)
lol
happy_penguin 4:38PM (1/11/2009)
Hideously. Disgustingly. Ugly!
Berto 5:24PM (1/11/2009)
What does a Kia Soul'ster have to do with Tacos?
Paul 4:02PM (1/11/2009)
Kia Soul'ster : Dodge Ram = Richard Simmons : Arnold Schwarzenegger
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Red 4:51PM (1/11/2009)
rofl...
Shawn 4:56PM (1/11/2009)
I like the soul'ster, it's much more general audience friendly than a Dodge Ram. It's a small fuel efficient runabout with seating for at least four, highish ground clearance, and four wheel drive. Sounds like an alright as a year round shuttle.
It's bad enough that people but and Expedition when a 5 door hatch will do. Any one who compares this to a Ram is missing the point, considering one is a truck and one isn't. That's like saying "Oh man, I'm not gonna buy a new Chevy Cruze cause it isn't as good as an Lotus Exige." Two different purposes.
alex T. 4:03PM (1/11/2009)
KIA if you build this, I will come.
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Dan 5:57PM (1/11/2009)
If Kia builds this, I will puke.
Torrent 4:05PM (1/11/2009)
nasty
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The Luigiian 4:07PM (1/11/2009)
I like the Kia Soul'ster. Currently, I have no interest in any Kia currently built. If this vehicle got good fuel economy, kept the two backseats, and fared well in crash tests, it would be the only Kia that would interest me.
I see this as a toylike, convertible pickup with traits of off-road vehicles like the Jeep Wrangler, and therefore it would compete for my interest against the most fuel-efficient trucks, including the Toyota A-BAT. I would lose interest quickly if this were made like a crossover SUV. The rear roll bars are an absolute necessity to pique my curiosity (safety reasons), as are manual windows. I would prefer an automatic transmission, however.
The back seats should function like a midgate, and the bed should be capable of being at least five feet long. Good IIHS scores would be quite nice.
I like the Kia Soul'ster, it's cute and toylike with just a hint of Tonka truck type toughness. I hope you build this fairly close to the concept vehicle, and that I could consider being a customer.
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Straight8 9:04PM (1/11/2009)
I liked it better at last year's show when it was called the Suzuki X-Head.
TurboAWD 4:13PM (1/11/2009)
OMG FAIL !!! What a POS
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samgross144 4:25PM (1/11/2009)
I like it. It looks production-ready, except for the seats, which would probably be replaced with a flat-backed version, for a flat load floor.
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JustKeith 4:44PM (1/11/2009)
If they were to offer this in a diesel that gets 30MPG+ city and 40MPG+ highway, I'd totally buy this. Especially if it has a rear mounted bike rack. It looks like a good, fun vehicle--just enough Tonka truck to bring out the kid in me and just enough utility to keep the other half from complaining that it's not practical. I'd love to see one in my driveway.
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Larry 4:52PM (1/11/2009)
Id love for Kia to actually build this, I would seriously consider this for a first vehicle for me and the wifey.
BUILD IT!
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Ltd 4:56PM (1/11/2009)
It'll definitely steal alot of New Beetle and Scion tC sales...
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